As part of the Civic Journalism Coalition, ECNL, EDRi, and Lighthouse Reports are excited to announce the second online workshop for civil society and journalists on how they can investigate Big Tech harms related to illegal content, disinformation, violations of fundamental rights, protection of minors or health and well-being under the Digital Services Act.
Second workshop: Investigating Big Tech harms: How journalists and civil society can use the data access mechanism in the Digital Services Act
Date and time: 9 September 2025, 14:30-16:00 CET
Topic: Under the Digital Services Act, big online platforms are required to grant researchers and non-profit organisations access to data needed for detecting, identifying and understanding systemic risks, which stem from the platforms’ functioning. Under which conditions can journalists access and use this data for investigations? What kind of data can platforms share and how to request access? When can platforms reject a request and what can be done if it happens?
Invited experts will offer a theoretical outline of the law as well as practical insights on how to go about data access requests and how to overcome potential pitfalls. We will also provide an opportunity for participants for hands-on testing and brainstorming potential data requests in specific scenarios.
Facilitators: Oliver Marsh, Algorithm Watch and LK Seiling, Weizenbaum Institut & DSA40 Collaboratory
Register here!
The Civic Journalism Coalition is an informal platform for coordination and collaboration – if you wish to join our mailing list to stay informed or join the coalition, please reach out to [email protected]! The workshops are open to participation to anyone from civil society or journalism interested in exploring how these two groups can work together, without the commitment to join the coalition. To stay tuned about the next workshops, follow ECNL on LinkedIn or subscribe to our newsletter.